Halter



(N0 Model.)

M. R. DOWLIN.

HALTER.

No. 379,056. Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

n, PEIER$ WW Washington. 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EicE.

MARSHALL R. DOWLIN, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSAGHUSETTS.

HALTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,056, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed September 3, 1887. Serial No. 241 .681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL R. DOWLIN, of North Adams, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Halters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention applies more especially to halters made of woven straps or webbing, and its object is to secure the ends of the main strap or webbing to the metallic eyes or fitting at the hitch end of the halterin a secure manner without rivets or stitching. It also aims to so attach the hitching-rope as to make it act as the adjustable chin-strap.

To these ends I attach the ends of the webstraps to fittings having a stud-buckle by first passing the end of the strap over the pronged bar of the buckle, andthence winding or looping the strap around the arms of the buckle and overthe end impaled on the prong, whereby a very secure attachment is obtained. The hitching-rope is attached at one end to an eye or ring having a diametrical cross-bar dividing it into two openings, the rope being thence looped through the eyes on the end of the halter-straps and through the openings of the divided ring, so as to form an adjustable jaw-noose or chin-strap to the halter integral with the hitching-rope. On the sides of the cheek-straps I attach tongueless buckles or barred clasps, to which the throat-strap is secured.

My invention therefore consists in the features above outlined, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 gives a perspective view of my improved halter. Fig. 2 is a detached view of one of the fittings at the hitching end of the halter, to which the main webs or straps are secured. Fig. 3 is a section of the fitting with the strap attached, showing the manner of attachment. Fig. 4is a detached view of the clasp-buckle or fitting which secures the throat-strap to the main straps, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the same on the strap. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the partitioned ring into which the hitching-rope is looped to form the adjustable chin-strap.

Referring to Fig. 1, a 1) indicates the main band or strap of the halter, which is preferably made of strong woven webbing, in one piece, curved into an inverted-U shape, as

I shown, the loop a of which at the top forms the headstall or head-strap, while the long sides b form the cheek-straps.

c is the nose-band, which is also made of webbing, like the main strap, and the ends of both of these straps are secured at their con vergence to the metallic cornerfittings, D D, which are formed with eyes at at the angle and studbuckles e diverging from the eye at nearly right angles, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The buckles e (see Fig. 2) are formed, in the usual manner, with three parallel bars and intervening slots, the central bar being at a lower level from the others, and also provided on their face with studs or prongsf, one or more, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Now, the webstraps are secured to the fittings by passing the extremity of the strap over the pronged 7o cross-bar and impaling it on the prongs, as seen in Fig. 3, thence winding the strap backwardly under and forwardly over the middle and the inner bars, and finally passing the strap over the impaled end on the prongs and under the outer bar, which, as will be observed, obtains such a combined frictional and positive attachment as to secure the web most securely to the fittings in a very simple andinexpensive manner, without rivets,stitching, or other fastenings, and without danger of ripping and tearing the web.

It will be noted on reference to Fig. 3 that the strap is engaged positively with the fitting by the impalement ofits end on the pronged bar, and is engaged frictionally by the several sharp bends or windings of the straps about the bars; and it will be observed that any strain on the strap will tend to tighten or press in the overlying wind of the-strap forcibly-9o against the impaled end, and thus only tend to retain the strap more firmly upon the bars of the buckle, as will be readily comprehended by study of Fig. 3. A peculiarly simple and efficient attachment for web-straps is thus provided, which is superior to rivets in being cheaper and not liable to loosen, and greatly superior to stitching, which is much more expensive and is liable to rot or rip.

that each endof the throat-strap g is secured to side clasps or buckles, F, which are attached to the cheek straps I). These clasps F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, are formed with three Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be noted longitudinal bars, h i h, the middle bar, *5, beiug at a lower level from the outer bars and pronged on its face, so as to form in effect a stud-buckle, and the strap is passed in a sinuous bend between the middle and the outer bars, as seen in Figs. 1 and 5, and, being thus crowded at the bend against the pronged bar, is thereby secured to the buckle in afirm and simple manner; and it will be noted that by looping up the strap in the bars h i h the buckle may be shifted or adjusted on the strap and again held at the desired position by straightening the strap, so that in this way the head-strap may be set higher or lower on the cheekstraps, as will be understood from Fig. 1.

On each end of the fittings or buckles F is formed an ordinary stud-buckle, kk, the three cross-bars of which are at about right angles to the bars h i h, the central bars of said studbuckles having a single stout stud, m, which is adapted to engage with a perforation in the ends of the straps g or a, connecting to said buckles. lhe strap a may be called a forehead-strap, to pass over the forehead of the horse; but this strap, and the buckles k, to which itconnects, may be altogether omitted, if desired.

Now, referring again to Fig. 1, it may be noted that I prefer to form the halter-stale or hitchingstrap 12 of a piece of ordinary light rope, although it may be made of other material; and this rope I connect directly with the eyes d on the main fittings D, and so loop the rope into the eyes d and into a partitioned noose'ring, r, as to form an adjustable tie or chin-strap, and thus dispense with a leather strap at this part, and at the same time render this part of the halter much stronger, cheaper, and more adjustable.

The noose-ring 1', as best seen in Fig. 6, is preferably a round metallic ring with acentral crossbar or partition, 1", dividing it into two loops or eyes. On referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that one end of the rope is secured to one side of the ring 1', and is thence passed in a loop through the eye d of one of the main fittings D, theneelooped through the opposite half of the partitioned ring, thence in a loop through the eye (I of the other fitting D, and is finally looped around the partition of the noose-ring and hangs pendent a sufficient length for holding or hitching the horse, as will be understood from Fig. 1. It will therefore be seen that the loops of the rope between the ring 1' and the eyes d form the chinstrap of the halter, and by adjusting the loops through the ring and eyes the size of this chin-strap may be adjusted to suit the horse, and it will be seen that the sharp looped bends of the rope in the ring 1' will present such a frictional resistance as to effectually prevent the strain of action from loosening the parts when once adjusted, thus rendering this important part of the halter very strong, simple, and inexpensive.

It will be readily understood that while I I prefer to use webbing for the main straps of the halter, and while the described mode of fastening the fittings therein is specially adapted for web-straps, yet the straps may be made of leather or other material, if desired.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a halter, the combination, with the fittings D, having the stud-buckles e, of the strap a I), having each of its ends impaled on the studded bars of the buckles and thence wound or doubled around the stud-bar and the impaled end in a spiral or coiled manner, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a halter, the combination, with the fittings D D, having the stud-buckles e e and eyes d d, of the straps a, b, and 0, having their ends secured to said buckles, and a hitching strap or line secured in said eyes, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with main strap a b,of barred clasps F, secured thereon and having stud-buckles 7c at each end thereof,with the straps g and a secured in said stud-buckles, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a halter having a nose-piece, the combination, with'eyes on the ends thereof and the partitioned noose-ring r, of the looped rope p, attached at one end to the ring and looped between the ring and the eyes, forming an adjustable chin band and tie, and thence hanging pendent from said ring to form the hitching-stale, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a halter, the combination, with the straps a, b, and c, of fittings D,securing said straps together, and having distinct isolated eyes d, with the partitioned ring 1*, and rope or stale 12, secured to said ring and looped through the eyes d, substantially as shown and described.

MARSHALL R. DOlVLIN.

Witnesses:

RALPH M. Downs, W. M. DOWLIN. 

